


when angels cry.

by PlisetskyShark



Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Gen, Other, buncha theories and headcanons mashed together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8598361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlisetskyShark/pseuds/PlisetskyShark
Summary: [ OFF x reader ]"...their tears become the stars up in the sky. My mommy used to tell me many stories about the angels she saw when she was young-" The sick boy stopped abruptly, coughing droplets of blood. "She had three angels. They saved her and took her to many places. But I only have you and I'll never leave this hospital." [ A/N: The story follows that theory 'bout Hugo being a really sick and hospitalized child whose only entertainment is to imagine a better world for himself , using the people around him. So like yeah the whole OFF world it's sorta an imaginary world and the Reader is just a cutiepie doctor wanting to help himzacharie x reader if you squint really hard, but sorta one sided too





	1. coma

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't beta read this shit cause it's 1 am and i'm tired and my laptop's light is killing me lmao but I needed this off my chest ? I've been wanting to write something for OFF for a long time so here you go
> 
> btw zacharie says "do you speak french too, sir?" , my french is a bit rusty after not speaking it for one year but ehhhh it's good enough

  
He called you an angel, the little boy who only spoke in shy and hushed whispers, who never dared to look at anyone in the eye, except for his giggly roommate and the masked man who always brought candy and prizes with him.

_But what made him think of you as an angel?_

You honestly questioned his criteria, but you weren't about to crush his dreams by telling him you were nothing but an ordinary human being. You were flattered of course, the way he saw you as the hospital's children's saviour gave you a warm feeling inside your chest and revived your passion for medicine.  
You were certain you were the only one, next to the masked man, who willingly spent countless of hours with said children, telling them stories or entertaining them when they weren't put through endless tests and operations, making them forget the short time they had left while knowing most of them couldn't be saved. You often wondered if your actions were either cruel or derivated from pity.

Hugo was one of those patients, though. And according to Zacharie, he had been hospitalized since he was born due to the many illnesses that left him bedridden.  
And despite that, the little boy had yet to start a conversation with you.

Half of the things you knew about him were because of the other children and Zacharie himself, the other half was because of the medical reports you had to fill about him and his condition.  
The kids told you many things about him. Some good, bad and scary things.  
How he was always connected to that machine that helped him breathe, how his legs were too weak to support his fragile body.  
Like how gross and liquid the food he had to eat was. How he'd never cry like them when a needle pierced his skin because he could barely feel his skin and flesh...

Those details seemed pointless as a doctor's point of view but to their imaginative and young minds, it must seem incredibly shocking. Some were already accustomed while others often dramatized and exaggerated everything they saw.

"Mx. [l/n]" A cheerful voice called you, pulling you out of your thoughts. You let go of the pen in your hand, now realizing the strength you were holding it with. "Oh sorry. Was I interrumpting anything?"

Tilting your head upwards, you met Enoch's gentle gaze. He was one of Hugo's mother's friends who often came to visit in her place, as she was apparently too busy to meet her sick son.  
You met this man a couple of times, his pockets always filled with sugary treats.

"I can come later if-"

"No, it's fine. I was a bit distracted there, sorry !" Standing up, you took his hand and shook it firmly. "I assume you're here for Hugo?"

He nodded enthusiastically, his booming laugh reverberating across the room. Without further questioning, you took him through the white halls towards Hugo's room, listening to him rambling about many topics about his work and family. He slipped a few questions about Hugo's health. You kept your answers vague and ambiguous, unsure if Hugo's case was even possible to treat.  
But still, you didn't wanted to make them lose hope and he seemed satisfied anyways.

Upon reaching Hugo's room, you knocked twice and hear another familiar voice from the inside. You opened the door only to see your co-worker, Zacharie, holding a book in his hands. Many children crowded around him, as they all sat on Hugo's bed.  
Their eyes turned to you.

"Bonjour, [y/n] !" Zacharie greeted, closing the book. He laughed when the children pouted, knowing that he'd have to finish their story another time. "You'll have to forgive me. These rascals wouldn't let me go unless I read them this comic over here. Panic in Ballvile, a rather interesting title, non?"

You sighed with a smile small making its way onto your face. With a gentle gesture , you motioned for the children to leave the room and Enoch, being the large man he was, had to take a few steps back to let the small crowd pass. You hoped they all returned to their respective rooms.  
Hugo, now the only one in the room, locked his restless eyes with yours for a moment only to go back and stare at his sheets.

"Oh, french!" The taller man spoke and clapped. "It's been a while since i've talked in my mother language !"

"Vous parlez français, monsieur ?" Zacharie adjusted his mask and stood up to meet Enoch, now both of them inmersed in their conversation. You silently cursed dropping your french course in highschool, only being able to understand a few stray words.

A weak cough caught your attention.

"How are you doing, Hugo?" He stayed silent for a couple seconds.

"Good" He fiddled around with the buttons of his red shirt, breathing loudly. It broke your heart to hear his weak voice crack. "How was your day, Mx. [y/n] ?"

"Tiring, as always. If it weren't because of your uncle here, i'd be stuck in my office doing more paperwork." You spotted a small grin on Hugo's face. "By the way, I think he brought more candy, how thoughtful."

The boy nodded gently and the two of you waited patiently in silence for the two men to finish their conversation. When Enoch remembered the reason of his visit, he apologized to Hugo, giving him a small and colorful envelope. Hugo's face lit up upon seeing the sweets.  
You and Zacharie waved them goodbye and left the room without saying a word, the two had two or three hours until the time for visits had ended.

  
"Desolé, [y/n]" The man next to you spoke as both of you entered into the elevator. Zacharie pushed two buttons and then stretched his arms forward. "But you know how it is. I can't help it if people are naturally attracted to my charm-"

"Don't flatter yourself. The kids and their families avoided you until you changed that frog mask for this one !" You snickered, remembering how some of the children came to you crying after Zacharie tried to surprise them with said mask. He visibly flinched, as he also remembered the time he had to convince the police he was a true doctor and assistant at the hospital.

The doors opened again and the man stepped out, but not before turning around and sticking his tongue out at you in a teasing, childish manner.  
You imitated him until the elevator's doors closed once again, leaving you alone on your descent.

 

Hours passed and Hugo felt disappointed when a rather young nurse knocked and announced that Enoch had to leave. The man nodded and he engulfed the boy into a hug, bidding him goodbye and telling him that uncle Dedan would visit some other day.

Hugo nodded and Enoch left with the nurse, leaving him alone once again. The boy recalled his brief encounter with doctor [l/n] and smiled meekly. He admired them, but was often too weak to even talk to them or go play with them and the other kids during their play time. He felt a pinch of jealousy rising inside him towards those who could run freely, even if they were also caged inside this hospital.

Hidding in the comfort of his pillow, he refused to even speak or acknowledge another nurse who came inside, pushing a wheelchair.  
Or at least what Hugo assumed to be a wheelchair. It wasn't time for his daily check up anyways so they wouldn't need to bring more loud machines or carts filled with colorful pills or needles into his room. He hated those a lot.

The constant sound of giggling and snorts pulled him out of his thoughts and the boy turned around.

On the other bed facing his own, now sat his roommate. A pale as sugar and snow girl, a couple of years older than him, with equally pale messy hair and the darkest eyes he had ever seen, mostly covered by her bangs. Her skinny arms were covered in colorful bandaids with many shapes: stars, ribbons, cats, frogs or cute cupcakes or cookies. She was always full of them, even if she didn't needed them.  
The nurse gave her a glass of water and two pills. Those two were new.

"Now, So-"

"Sucre! Never Sophie!" She yelled, her voice cracking as usual.

"Right, Sucre. Just drink this and the pills, please."

The nurse sighed and decided to postpone her usual lecture. Once she made sure the pills were swallowed, she made a bee-line for the exit and disappeared behind the metallic door, mumbling under her breath.

And now it was just the two of them.

"Where were you?" Hugo asked as the girl hopped out of her bed and jumped into his, her weight making them bounce. She let her legs dangle off the white matress, showing and raising her white dirty feet upwards. "You lost your shoes again?"

She nodded proudly, cackling and throwing her arms at her head, ruffling her hair. "I threw them outside the window, Mrs. Clark was really mad at me!"

Both chatted about their day until the conversation died and a comfortable silence filled the room. Hugo noticed that Sucre's breathing slowed, comfortably snoring at the other side of his bed and he smiled. He wanted to tell her about Enoch's visit, but that could wait for tomorrow since he was also feeling tired.

The boy covered Sucre's body with part of his blanket as best as he could and closed his eyes.


	2. sleep

 

                                                                      

 

Morning came, or at least that's what the young boy assumed. The window from his room was always closed and the blinds always down to prevent any dust or bacteria that could harm him in any way from coming in. Which was also why the room always had a stuffy and suffocating atmosphere.

Hugo stretched his feet, only to poke his friend's back. Sucre still snored lightly at the end of his bed and had curled up into a ball during the night. He sat down, knowing that at any moment a nurse would come in to give him his morning ration of pills.  
And he was right, a matter of minutes a knock was heard and a blonde woman peeked her head into the room.

"Are you two awake?" She inquired while pushing the door with her foot, revealing two trails that consisted of a glass of water and another one of orange juice, toast and some pieces of fruit. Maybe apple, a classic. "Oh, good morning, Hugo. I see you're as punctual as always."

Hugo recognized her as Ms.Ziegler, a young nurse who worked as [Y/n]'s apprentice. Her blue eyes always shined with kindness and the room seemed to become even brighter in her presence. Ms.Ziegler was a good woman and many children saw her as an angel, depicting her as such in their drawings, but she couldn't be compared to [Y/n] in Hugo's opinion.

He nodded and Ms.Ziegler left the two trails on Sucre's unoccupied bed before approaching them. She shook Sucre's body lightly, whispering in her gentle voice.  
The pale girl thrashed and trembled violently, as if her body suddenly froze. Her teeth clattered and her tiny bandaged fingers dug into the skin of her arms. Hugo crawled over to her, not minding Ms.Ziegler's shocked expression, and cupped Sucre's cheeks with his small hands. She seemed to relax and eventually her convulsions stopped.  
The woman next to them observed with a worried and confused look on her face.

"How did you...?"

"She gets really cold often. Cold as a corpse,"The boy coughed a couple times before reaching out to grab Ms.Ziegler's hand. "and my hands are always warm. It helps her."

  
Nothing else was said about the matter. Sucre now sat next to Hugo, giggling and smiling as if nothing had ever happened, but Ms.Ziegler was still worried. After giving the two children their breakfast and trusted them to take their morning pills, she left and hurried to find her mentor.

You were, again, going through countless of piles of paperwork. Checking endless of informs about all of the children's statuses and needs. Sometimes, you wished you could switch places with your coworker, Zacharie, whose paperwork was given to you after he decided that cheering up children was way more gratifying. Of course, it was unfair, but the kids loved him and his funny antics.

But still, he should at least help you out from time to time!

With a sigh, you stood up and glanced at the clock. 9 am. Maybe you could take a short break and - knock knock. Nevermind, someone demanded your attention. You opened the metallic door, only to find Angela, fiddling with her fingers.

"Angela? What is it? Did you give everyone their breakfast yet?" She nodded. Before you could ask her to join you in your break, she began speaking.

"I have been studying all of the patient's conditions like you told me. And, well. Sophie's file, her illness was stated as "unknown" but I might know what's causing her panic attacks and constant painful laughter and -" You gently lifted up a finger to your lips, motioning her to calm down and stay silent.

"Yes, I know." You started, calmly making way to your seat at the office. Angela closed the door behind her carefully. "We all know about Sucre's condition, it's rare but if you could easily recognize it if you paid attention in med school. It is also equally easy to treat and cure."

"Then why-"

"Her parents don't want her to go through any of the operations despite our efforts to convince them." You kept your explanations simple, short and professional. You should've warned Angela about this to avoid having this conversation now, but you've becomed so accustomed to pretending every child has a chance to live that you've forgot. "Whether it's because of money, religion or morals, I don't know. But again, Sucre's illness isn't lethal, just extremely hard to live with."

Angela listened to every word you said and you noticed how she held her breath.  
Yep, you should've told her before.

"We took the matter to court, but it's been years and we haven't gotten any answer ever since. So right now, we're just playing the waiting game." You tapped your fingers on the table. "We can either wait until the law does it's job at preventing a young girl from spending her life here with a curable disease, or we wait until she's old enough to choose for herself. Don't be surprised, though. Some of the children around here are on the same boat."

Once your explanation was over, Ziegler finally let out a sigh and rubbed her temples, trying to take all of that in. You had a similar reaction back in your day as a rookie, so you gave her space and time to let it sink in.

"But there's always the chance of her getting even worse. Beyond treatment. There is always that small chance." You hummed at her statement. "What do we do if that situation comes?"

The door opened again before you could even open your mouth and a familiar cat mask came into view. Zacharie held a couple of balloons in his hand and a cup of coffe on the other.

"Bonjour, bonjour!" He greeted happily, before noticing the tense atmosphere in the room. "Am I interrupting something important?"

"Sorta, but i'll let it slip if you give me that coffee you have there." You grinned, in serious need of some caffeine to keep you going through the day. "Angela and I were just discussing Sucre's condition, y'know the usual stuff."

"Oooh, I see. The 'usual'" He nudged Angela's side, who only gave a tired smile in return. "Fine, then. The coffee's actually for you, anyways, cher. Sorry I didn't get anything for you, Ms. Ziegler!"

"Speaking of food, Angela. Feel free to take a break, today seems like a slow day so take it easy. And don't overthink too much." The blonde nodded at your advice and left, leaving you with Zacharie at the office. Once she was out of hearing range, you turned to the male and slided Sucre's file towards him. "She was asking me about our little snowball."

The man chuckled at the nickname and handed you the coffee, which you took gladly. "And you told her the 'usual' stuff you should've told her before, oui?" There he was, teasing you again.

"Shut up. It was an honest mistake." You said between sips. "Next time YOU get an apprentice, i'll be the one laughing."

"We both know that's not going to happen, mon cher."

"Shut up."

When you glanced at the clock once again, it was 10:30 am. Zacharie usually went to play with the children around 11 until lunch, so you guessed the balloons were for them. Your eyes landed on the piles of papers and you considered the idea of joining your friend. Part of you wanted to personally go and check if Sucre was doing okay, making you realize the impact Angela's words had on you. Rubbing your forehead, you set the coffee aside and returned to the file in front of you.

"You didn't sleep well last night, cher." Zacharie pointed to the dark bags under your eyes and you swatted his hand away. "Now, what did I tell you about a constant sleeping schedule?"

"That it's for losers, like you." You stuck your tongue at him in a playful manner. "I had paperwork to do and I can't get Angela to help me. At least not yet. Now if only SOMEONE did his part..."

The man flicked your forehead, clearly picking up on what you implied. You laughed and tried to flick his as well, but he was already out of your reach.  
Zacharie let go of the balloons, letting them float towards the ceiling. All of them were being held by a red ribbon so he wouldn't have to worry about retrieving them later. He then sat on the desk in front of you and started going through some of the files you had to examine and check.

"Hmm, no can do. But today we can switch if you want" He offered. "Today I do all of this boring paperwork and you go play with the kids. Sounds fair, non?"

With an excited smile, you stood up from your seat and took the abandoned balloons, already reaching for the exit. You turned around to face your friend one last time.

"Deal. If you manage to finish the whole thing today, i'll treat you to coffee tomorrow!"

Once you were gone, Zacharie took a moment to take off the mask, leaving it on top of his empty desk. He sighed, running both hands through his black hair. Using his phone's interior camera, he was able to check the dark circles under his own grey - almost white - eyes.

"Ah, merde. I should've slept as well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me ? including mercy as a cameo in this fic ? nah what r u talking abt lmao  
> art made by Fuyuure-27 on deviantart !


	3. apnoea

                                                            

 

The following day, you arrived at the hospital with a thermos of hot chocolate in your hand and a noticeable pep in your step.

Days like these were extremely rare, but yesterday was exactly what you needed - a short break from all the paperwork, as well as spending time with your patients. With a job such as yours, it was easy to fall into the montonous routine. And even easier to forget that you were dealing with actual human beings. A pinch of guilt crept into your heart, remembering the days when your mind simply processed all these names, all these files, as repetitive chores to deal with instead of what they actually were : the lives of the children under your care.

It was human to feel somewhat frustrated and stressed. Tired of the routine, of only hearing and delivering bad news. Feelings such as those were impossible to ignore, but you were a professional doctor. Staying calm and focused under every situation was pretty much a necessity in your field. Your patients' safety and health were your top priority, they all mattered to you.

Which is why you silently promised to yourself that you'd never forget. Every face you've encountered in all those years and the other countless ones you'll meet in the future. They're all the reason you're still working as a doctor. The beacon of hope and light that keeps you motivated ! The fresh breeze in summer ! The -

"Mon cher, you're blocking the entrance." Zacharie's familiar laughter rang in your ears. "And you were making that intense face again, too." 

"Wanna trade jobs again?" You completely ignored his last statements, knowing how much he hated being ignored, before offering a shit-eating grin.

His silence was enough answer and you wished you could take off that cat mask of his just to see his expression right now. 

"Only if you tell me that whatever is in that thermos - hopefully coffee - is for me and me only." Your eyes met the two dark spots on his mask where his eyes should be. You felt him glare back as you slowly raised the thermos to your lips, taking a purposefully long and loud sip. "Oh noooo."

"Oh yes." 

"[Y/N], please tell me that's not hot chocolate." 

"It's totally not your favorite brand  of hot chocolate, Zacharie." By the way he inhaled, you assumed he caught the obvious sarcasm in your voice.

After a couple of seconds of pure and tense silence, you sprinted towards your office with Zacharie hot on your heels. It was about 6 am, so the halls were empty enough for an absolutely friendly morning jog. You quickly waved and greeted some of the nurses.

"HellogoodmorningeveryoneIhopeyou'realldoingokay.AlrightseeyoulaterZacharieisgoingtoprobablymurdermebye!" Damien and Alma smiled at your antics while Pentel simply shook their head. You're pretty sure you heard Shachihata let out a shriek and Zacharie apologize behind you, giving you a few extra seconds to escape.

And in the end, you did ! Now hiding in your office, you locked the door behind you and chuckled to yourself. Zacharie must really be in bad shape if he can't even catch up to you, someone who spends all their day sitting down and whose only risk was getting hand cramps from writing so much. 

After catching your breath, you found Angela sitting at her desk, looking at you with wide confused eyes.

"Good morning, Angela ! How are you ?" Your casual tone completely mismatched your messy appearance, gaining a giggle from your apprentice.

"I'm good, I assume your day started out fine?" 

"Yeah, just messing around with everyone's favorite clown." Another giggle. Your eyes fell upon the giant stack of papers on your desk and your mood immediately dropped at the thought of having to fill them up before the day ended. Angela noticed your discontent and subtly pointed at Zacharie's own desk. You raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if you're trying to tell me I should give all of this work to Zacharie or something else . . ."

"No ! I was trying to say those are already done !" Her face flushed red. Angela gesticulated a lot when she was nervous or embarrassed, right now her hands moved at the speed of light. What a cutie. "Zacharie worked overtime to get these done, that's all I wanted to say !" 

So he DID manage to finish everything in one day. That takes some determination.

Before you could even answer Angela, the door began shaking and thrashing around, only to stop after a couple seconds. Leaning against the wooden surface, you called out in an innocent voice.

"Who is it?" 

"Mon cheeeeer ! Let me in, s'il te plait !" You heard him beg - as well as pant in exhaustion. Deciding that both of you had enough exercise for today, you unlocked the door and let him in. Zacharie immediately latched onto you with his full weight, trying to drag you down. "Aha ! Now let me have at least a sip of that sweet nectar of the gods !" 

"Oh, so now you suddenly believe in gods?" Shaking him off proved to be useless, since his strength mostly resided in his arms. You know, from lifting up children and giving them piggyback rides all the time. So you simply let him embrace you. 

"Oh, cher, did you suddenly shrink?" He mocked, resting his chin on top of your head. How could he make fun of your decently average height ? You considered your options : either elbowing him in the stomach or let this one pass and give him the thermos. You chose the latter, making him gasp in excitement. 

He grabbed it with his free hand, the other one around your smaller frame, and drank what was left of the beverage. 

"You know, I actually made that for you this morning." You casually commented, finally freeing yourself from his grasp and returning to your desk - next to Angela's. She deadpanned.

"Then why did you two decided to play tag so early in the morning when you could've just given him the thermos?" You shrugged and your old friend did the same. Angela rubbed her temples in a slow motion, but her amused smile betrayed her. 

"If you're up for it, you can join our little games anytime, Ms. Ziegler." 

 "Thank you for the offer, but I think I have to refuse."

 

Soon, the short time you had to bond with your coworkers ended and your work began. Angela left to make sure everyone had their breakfast on time, followed by Zacharie who had to find some light reading for the children. You, on the other hand, stayed in the office to now organize all the paperwork Zacharie had done the day before. 

"Ah, fuck - I totally forgot to thank him." You cursed under your breath, quickly writing a short reminder on your wrist with a black marker. "Thank . . . Zach . . .There, done !" The squiggly letters on your skin looked rather funny, but it was better than leaving a note somewhere on your desk as it was already filled to the brim with other reminders.

More confident than before, you rolled your sleeves and began sorting all the papers in all the different and brightly colored folders. 

 

A couple hours later, the door creaked slowly but you were too busy trying to figure out Zacharie's handwritting to even notice the pale nurse entering into your office. They inhaled and you turned around on instinct, ready to attack if necessary.

"Oh, Shachihata - it's just you." You lowered the stack of papers in your hands - not a very good weapon, mind you - and let a relieved sigh. "Do you need something?"

Shachihata was one of the many nurses that worked at the hospital, more specifically in your floor and department. And very much like the rest of nurses, their last name was also "Elsen". You wondered if all of them were related in any way - they did look similar but at the same time, had their very unique differences and traits. Shachihata was an avid fan of avoiding eye contact and biting their nails. They were also more jumpy than the rest, which sometimes the kids took advantage of by pulling silly pranks on them. 

One time, they ran up to you at the verge of tears, mumbling about a ghost in the hallway. Of course, the so called ghost turned out to be Zacharie with Sucre on his shoulders, covered by a bedsheet. Another cutie. You were surrounded by cuties. 

". . . It's about Hugo." Shachihata's voice was slow paced, it sounded like he was always at the brink of a panic attack. You frowned and stood up, ready to sprint once more if needed. "He told me to get him . . . some paper. He wants to draw, I think. . ."

Oh thank god. 

"Don't they have some in the lounge?" You questioned, mostly to make some small talk with them, looking for some blank papers anyway. The nurse's loud breathing stopped for a second, as if they were using all of their power to process what to say next. "That's also where all the crayons are."

"I- I don't know . . . I'm sorry. I couldn't. There were . . . Too many people." 

Ah, anxiety. You knew that bitch too. 

You made a mental note to give Shachihata tasks that required minimun contact with large groups of people. They worked hard, hell, everyone in your department did, which is  why you strived to make the enviroment as pleasant as a floor full of sick children could be.

"Okay, how about this. You go look for papers here and i'll go check in the lounge. Does that sound good?" The nurse nodded and you left, but not before giving them some instructions as to where they could look and search around. Their shoulders dropped a bit, relaxing around you. "I'll be back soon, don't worry !" 

 

You sort of expected to find Zacharie in the lounge room, sitting with his legs crossed on the soft white carpet, reading a comic book while the usual crowd of children tried to climb all over him. Instead, you found your favorite giggly patient sitting on the table, her back turned to you. When you called out to her, she jumped and refused to look at you. How incredibly suspicious. 

"Oh no. Sucre ! Is that . . . paper you're eating?" The girl looked like a squirrel stuffing it's cheeks with food - except that instead of food, Sucre's cheeks were filled  to the brim with balls of paper. You quickly rushed over to her and started to pull out all of it, not caring if your hands were now soaked in saliva. Hugo's papers could certainly wait a few minutes. And it wasn't like you could find any sheet of paper that wasn't covered in Sucre's saliva in the lounge anyway. "Sucre, oh my god - how much paper did you stuff in here ?!" 

She shoved you away, preventing you from reaching the remaining pieces of paper. "A wot of pwapwer." She tried to close her mouth and swallow, but her chronic fits of giggles and laughter kicked in. 

"Sucre. Spit."

"Mmmno, I dwon't wanna ! I'm weatwing shugwar !" 

You took a deep breath.

"Are you hungry, snowball ?" She nodded, reaching out for more things to shove into her mouth again. You quickly stopped her. "Did you have breakfast ?"

"Ywes!" 

"Okay, that's good ! So you had breakfast but you're still hungry - How about we go find some cookies for you ?" Her eyes widened like saucers at the mention of cookies. Or at least you assumed they did, they were hard to see behind that curtain of messy white hair. "We'll go get some cookies, but only if you spit whatever sticky monstruosity you have in there. Deal ?" 

"Dweal." 

It took every ounce of strength in your whole body to not gag at the scene unfolding in front of you. It was a mix of an old cartoon and an asian horror movie. Sucre opened her mouth slowly, letting a waterfall of saliva fall on the carpet, along with pieces of paper and some crayons too - bless the companies that made crayons completely harmless and edible for children. After making sure her mouth was now empty, you did your best to wipe her face with your sleeve and helped her stand up. 

"Now, pinky promise me you'll go find any of us if you're hungry, instead of eating anything you find." Leaning down to her level, you stuck out your pinky finger with the most serious face you could muster. She intertwined her own finger with yours and giggled. 

"Zacharie always gives us candy !" You feigned surprise - already fully aware of the treats Zacharie always filled his pockets with. 

"Oh, is that so ? That means I must punish him !" Sucre started tugging at your coat, shaking her head and begging you not to. "I was joking, snowball, don't worry. But you better keep that secret from Ms. Ziegler, she MIGHT punish him in my place." 

"She can't punish Zacharie ! He told me that if I get better, he'll give me a whole bag of candy just for myself !" She grabbed your hand as you lead her towards your office, where a secret stash of snacks awaited.

"IF? you mean WHEN you get better. You'll be able to eat all the sugar you want." You ruffled her hair, earning a genuine chuckle from her. 

"For real?" 

"Of course, you know Zach and I would never lie to you, snowball." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been one thousand years  
> cover art by johncest on tumblr ! 
> 
> The names of the Elsen are based on the theory that train stations in OFF are named after Elsens who had done something remarkable !


End file.
